State prosecutors have been urged to master the digital frontier to confront artificial intelligence (AI) driven crimes.
Opening the Office of the Director Public Prosecutions (ODPP) Annual Conference in Nadi yesterday, Speaker of Parliament Filimoni Jitoko highlighted the need for this strategic enhancement as Fiji’s law and justice sector undergoes a much-needed transformation.
“The evolution of prosecutorial practice transcends the boundaries of legal reform. It is a matter of institutional stewardship,” he said.
“You must become experts in a domain where evidence is digital, crimes are virtual and the trail is encrypted.
“This means going beyond the foundation of the Cyber Crime Act of 2021 to confront AI driven crimes, deep fake fraud and complex crypto asset flows.
“The modern prosecutor must be as fluent in the language of digital force forensics as in the rules of evidence.”
Mr Jitoko said dismantling criminal enterprises must also be a focus of State lawyers.
“We must shift our focus from securing convictions to dismantling the power of organised crimes.
“This demands the effective use of tools like the unexplained wealth orders or UWOs to strip criminals of their illicit gains hitting them where it hurts the most — their wallets.”
The Speaker added climate change remains a regional and global issue that all state domains must advocate for including its justice and legal systems.
“The landmark Child Justice Act of 2024 is a paradigm shift.
“It requires a prosecutor to be not only a legal technician but also a guardian of the vulnerable.
“The modern courtroom must be a place where the voices of children and victims are protected – not retraumatised.
“This approach should be all embracing and built into all our other new laws cognizant of the victims and survivors of any traumas, including the coups and political upheavals of our recent history.”
The conference continues today at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Nadi.
